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get a couple in.

I must have atleast four of these around my home. My two older children have them next to there beds for reading at night or toilet breaks throught the night ( they are five and seven years old ). It is easy for them to use and better than the normal battery ones as if they forget to turn them off its just a quick sqweeze and we have light again. They are also the first thing to grab if going out trick or treating or to a fire work show. I also have one in the electric cupboard for those emergency moments and also in my car. And for those lovely dark nights dog walking. So if your thinking of buying one i would advise getting two you will alway find somwhere else that you need one or great little gift. And with a range of differant characters you will please everyone..

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I like these torches and would buy them again

I have a few wind up torches knocking around the house the latest being this little pump action torch by Uni Com. This isn't my first Uni Com torch and as I'm quite happy with the brand thought I'd buy a couple more.

I saw these in Home Bargains last winter for only 99p so bought the dog, a duck and recently a lilac one which I've put away for my daughter for Christmas to take to uni with her.

Wind up torches don't require batteries or bulbs so when their rechargeable battery and led bulbs finally give up you can't replace them. I've had one of these torches for ages and it still works, so they have a long life span- much longer than battery torches anyway, I always seemed to be replacing batteries.

The dog is cute and the one I personally use, therefore it's the one that's been used the most. The torch feels well made. It's quite small and light weight and fits easily in my hand or pocket. I find it very comfortable to hold, there are no rough edges and the whole thing is smooth and rounded. The wrist strap is just the right size for me and I always use this as I'm clumsy and this saves me dropping it- which I have done but this hasn't damaged it in anyway. He stands upright on his feet which can be handy to store. There are two small slide buttons on the side one to turn the light on and one to flip the pump action 'handle' out.

The torch itself is easy to charge, to do so you just open out the 'handle' and pump it for a few minutes. I do find that as I'm charging the torch the pump sometimes closes which does annoy me but it's just a minor niggle.

After charging the torch is quite bright initially and gives off white light. It's not strobe light bright just enough to light the immediate way ahead, then gradually fades. I just pump it up as it dims and it brightens straight back up. If I didn't keep the charge up then the torch light lasts less than 15 minutes gradually fading to nothing. The claim that you can charge for one minute to get 20-30 minutes light isn't true, for me anyway... fortunately this particular charging method isn't as noisy as the wind up handle type- still quite noisy though.....

I've found over time that the brightness of the torch has diminished, it seems to need charging more often than when I first bought it. Nevertheless it's a handy torch that I do use quite often.

4 STARS from me. It would be 5 but I'm knocking a star off for their claims of one minute charging time for 20 minutes light.

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Good for children/fuse changes and not much else..

We were all set to go camping this August, everything was packed and we were all organised..until as we were leaving the word 'torch' rang out around the room..when we all then looked at each other with a blank expression that was quickly followed by a 'OMG' expression.It was 6.15pm on a Friday and we needed to leave, NOW! So it was decided that home bargains at the end of the street was our best bet-stupidly we let the least intelligent one of the group run in.We arrived at the camp site later that evening to discover the 'torch' was this wind up dog..again the 'OMG' expressions were back!It worked, when wound up it does light up and was east to wind up but the light from it was poor..we may aswell have tried to errect the tent by matchstick light to be fair! We did use the torch that evening to set up and did manage to do it with no fatalities so thats a bonus but then the next day we went off in search of a more bright torch.A dog is not just for camping though and I am happy to say that he was adopted by one of the Children and is now used in their room to sneaky read books when they should be asleep..as its wind up it will last a long time and for £1.99 it turns out to have been a good buy afterall!Good enough for children or non strenuous duties but dont expect this to light up your world!

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Nifty little torch.

I'm a massive dog lover and have spent my life being surrounded by mutts, each year I find at least one novelty pooch related item in my stocking and a couple of years ago it was a rather comical canine delight in the form of this quirky little torch. You never know when you might need such an item and so I always like to keep one stocked in the kitchen drawer, the wind up varieties have been around for a good while now and I have one, though in all honesty I find it to be more trouble than it's worth as you seem to be turning the handle for an eternity all for some little light that's weaker than a single fire fly's behind.

With this torch on the other hand all you have to do is hold down a little button on the side and that charges it, so much easier than constant winding. The first time I used it I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of light that was produced, for a cheap little gizmo it doesn't half shine, not quite a blazing beacon but certainly enough to see to fiddle with the fuse box. The torch itself is remarkably cute, the breed of dog I'm not entirely sure, perhaps a beagle or basset hound? It also comes with a pair of nifty little feet that enable the gadget to stand up and there's even a little strap that can be looped around your wrist.

I found the torch to be comfortable to hold due to it's slightly curved shape, I only have little hands but had no trouble as it's isn't a bulky chunky device. Seeing as it was a christmas gift I have no clue how much it cost at the time but on searching the good old tinterweb it would seem that you can pick it up for under a fiver and that it comes in different animal varieties, I've even seen a pig version that would be perfect for people who prefer pork to pooches. Fab little item to have to hand, so much better than having to hunt for batteries in the dark or rummaging about for some candles, 5 stars.

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cute and bright

I received this dog torch as a Christmas Present a few years ago. Although I have other small torches this one has to be my favourite.

The torch is a brown colour with a face and feet to make it look like a dog. It is really cute looking and a definate improvement on my other torches, they are just black.

The feet not only look good but they are practical as well as it means the torch will stand up instead of rolling all over the place. Surprisingly, even after knocking the table quite hard, the dog is still on its feet.

The light of the torch is very bright for a cheaper torch. I didn't expect it would be that bright but it proved me wrong. It is useful for looking in those corners the ceiling light doesn't reach when it's darker. When I took it out in the dark on bonfire night it was not that bright but it is still effective for the spot the light is aimed at.

The torch is charged by squeezing the side. I think this is better than the wind up torches as it won't break as easily. The squeezing part comes out when you push the button on the side. This means you don't have it out permanently which helps the shape of the torch and doesn't effect the shape of the dog. It is really easy to push and if you do it for one minute the torch should last half an hour. I havent tested this out as I have never needed the torch for half an hour at a time. It is also a little tiring after a minute and noisy too.

Attached to the torch is a wrist strap. The whole is not very big so I can only just get my hand through. At least I wont drop it though. I think this part is more for children but it's good to have there anyway.

Overall I think this is a fantastic torch. It is cute, bright and battery free.

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Eco-friendly dog design dynamo generated LED torch

I must have seen dozens of these small dynamo run torches, all of varying designs and interestingly varying efficiency. This particular torch is from Unicom and fits in with a lot of the other designs they have produced.

This one has a dog design. Much like other similar brands it's just over 10cm long, and the two feet of the dog actually serve for standing the torch up. There's a useful wrist strap attached to the base of the torch, and just above it is a retractable button that swings out and acts as the power generator for the dynamo. The way it works is relatively simple: a release switch on the opposite side to the handle flicks the handle out, a few squeezes activate the dynamo which then stores the kinetic energy generated by this and releases it through the LED lights which sit at the top of the dog's head.

The LEDs produce effective light, definitely enough to use for camping or even for finding your way at night around the house without putting the lights on. This can be quite handy and we have a number of them around the house, this dog included, and have used them for various different things. Our eldest (9) recently took this one on a camping trip with the school and we were reassured by the fact that he had a torch we knew wouldn't run out of batteries. The dynamo powers long life rechargeable batteries to emit the light.

The power can also be stored in the torch. If you pump the handle for a minute continuously, then you should be able to get around half an hour of light without needing to pump it again. This is also handy as the torch gears can make quite a grinding noise as you pump the handle, winding it up. This is usually not a problem, but there comes a point where you get a bit annoyed by the noise, especially if your kids seem to think it's more entertaining to pump the handle than it is useful as a torch. As a result we get constant handle pumping and the grinding noise that goes with it. If you don't have the switches set properly then the dynamo won't store the power, and our eldest finds it fascinating to pump slowly and count how long the light stays and then pump once fast and count again. Ultimately, I don't think he has arrived at a conclusion as yet, because he still does it and counts occasionally and never seems to be taking particular note of anything.

Is this worth getting? Well, it'll cost you around the £5 mark. It's a quirky gadget, and fun at the same time as being useful. I like it, and we have quite a collection of these torches. This one works very well and no doubt will continue to do so for quite a while yet. The dog design is immaterial really, save for quirky gadget effect and something to attract younger buyers with. I prefer the transparent ones where you can see the cogs turning inside, I think this is much more educational. This particular one does have educational benefits as it's good for kids to learn about being eco-friendly with gadgets such as this, but you can't see inside this one.

I like this - £5 is perhaps slightly too steep. I managed to get ours for £3 which somehow seems much better value. Worth getting as a torch and for your kids to have something to use when camping or getting to the toilet at night without blinding everyone on the way.

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Squeeze action torch

My son received a wind up ladybird torch in his Christmas stocking several years ago and it proved a popular present. Unfortunately it gave up the ghost a few months ago refusing to charge when the handle was pumped. Recently whilst out shopping I spotted a cute little dog torch with similar squeeze action mechanism to the loved ladybird. I decided to buy one for my son as a surprise.

The torch is in the shape of a dog and coloured black and brown. There are two little feet at the bottom that allow the torch to stand alone. There is a carry strap attached at the side of the torch. The slider on/off switch is easy to operate and helps save power when the torch is not in use. The squeeze action handle pops out when the slider switch is pushed to the *on* position. When the switch is at the *off* position the handle cannot be operated.

The torch is small enough to fit into a pocket and would be perfect for little hands to hold. It weights just 82 grams so is very light too. The torch needs no batteries as it is powered up by squeezing the handle a few times. The manufactures state that squeezing the handle for 1 minute will give you about 20 minutes worth of light. I have not actually tested this claim but have to reason to question it! What I can say is that the light produced by this little torch is surprisingly bright. The squeeze action mechanism is easy to operate, although a young child may struggle.

I paid £6 for this little torch and think that was money well spent. My son was very pleased with his present and has used it on a recent camping trip. The torch is made by Unicom and is available to buy from Amazon. I really can't think of any negative points and so would have to award this cute little torch 5 stars!

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a great little torch

I purchased this wind up dog torch to replace the clumpy, heavy, battery eating animal torch my son owned. I wanted something that didn't run out of batteries in the middle of the night and something that was small enough for my son to have in his bed. He shares a bedroom with his younger brother and most night's gets up for the toilet he always has done so to not wake his younger brother and cause commotion during the night he began using a torch to get out of his room.

This little torch has a cute design of a dog. It is a light brown colour with a cute dog face on one side of it. It has two small feet underneath allowing it to stand up on surfaces. The torch light is on the top of the product. It roughly measure 11cms in length and in my hand is comfortable to hold. My eldest son who is five finds it the perfect size to hold. To get the torch light working you only need a few squeezes of the handle on the left and you have power and light. There are to sliding switches on the right hand side. The top switch allows you to turn the power on and off allowing you to safe energy. The bottom switch when up keeps the squeezing handle held inside the torch and when down it pops out allowing you to squeeze it and produce more power. The torch also comes with a wrist strap too.

This torch is eco-friendly as it uses a small internal dynamo that recharges long life rechargeable batteries so you will never need to replace them. It also has low powered LED which are very bright and again will not need replacing. The torch does claim if you do a whole minute of squeezing it will give you twenty to thirty minutes of torch light. I can't say we have actually tested this out.

My son was very pleased with this torch and so am I. He finds it the very easy to squeeze and produce power and after a few goes he has learnt how to get the handle to stay inside or pop out. I personally feel having a handle like this instead of the ones you turn and wind up is brilliant it is a lot sturdier. The only down side I have to this torch is a little bit noisy when squeezing the handle to produce power. I tend to get my son to do it before bed but that said I have used it during the night when my son was ill and it didn't wake my younger son! When the torch is squeezed up well it gives off a very powerful light and for a small wind up torch I am very impressed.

So whether you are buying it for your child or for yourself to save battery use and eco-friendly I would highly recommend this powerful little thing. I purchased this from Amazon and it cost me £5 which considering it doesn't need batteries I think is a bargain. My son has had his for four months now and it looks just as good as it did when he first got it. If a dog isn't your type there are also other designs available in the style of a duck, cow or penguin.